Banks In Lebanon Reopened This Morning After A Streak Of Heists

Banks In Lebanon Reopened This Morning After A Streak Of Heists

The Association of Banks in Lebanon announced Sunday that the country’s banks will resume operations as of today, Monday, following a one-week closure prompted by a wave of bank “heists” that were carried out by depositors demanding their savings.

In a statement, ABL said it held a meeting in which it discussed “the need to secure the continuity of services for clients while taking into consideration the difficult security situations and the need to preserve the safety of clients and employees alike, in the absence of sufficient protection from the state.”

The Association added that banks will resume their operations today through channels specified by each bank for the operations of commercial, educational, health, and other institutions and through ATMs that are accessible by everyone.

“This will allow them to carry out their deposits and withdrawals and will secure the availability of the salaries of the public and private sectors,” ABL said.

“If necessary, any client can contact the general administration of the concerned bank or its client service department so that any other urgent matter can be fulfilled as soon as possible,” the Association went on to say.

The banks had initially declared a three-day strike but decided to extend it after rejecting a